• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Jury awards $231,000 in damages to state senator in libel, slander case

Jury awards $231,000 in damages to state senator in libel, slander case

April 6, 2012 By O. Kay Henderson

A jury late this afternoon awarded a state senator from Sioux City $231,000 in damages after finding his 2010 opponent and the Iowa Democratic Party committed libel and slander against him.

Republican Senator Rick Bertrand of Sioux City objected to a 2010 TV ad which claimed Bertrand’s company had been singled out by the FDA for the “marketing of dangerous drugs to children.”

“This is how you change the face of American politics, it’s by standing up to the political party machine,” Bertrand said this evening during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa. “This is how it works.”

Bertrand, who used to work for a pharmaceutical company, said he never sold the controversial pediatric drug that was mentioned in the ad.

“This was about truth versus lies,” Bertrand said.

Jeana Goosmann, Bertrand’s attorney, issued a written statement, arguing this case has national significance “because the jury held the political party liable for false personal attacks against a political candidate.”

Bertrand said he hopes the case does something to reduce the “slime” that’s spread in some campaign ads “no matter what party” is doing it.

“This wasn’t about, you know, stretching the truth or angles,” Bertrand said this evening. “It was basically saying lies to assassinate a character to win votes.”

A top official with the Iowa Democratic Party declined to comment on the case.

The jury ordered Bertrand’s 2010 Democratic opponent to pay Bertrand $31,000 and the Iowa Democratic Party to pay $200,000 in damages.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Republican Party

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Confusion at MVC Tournament as UNI exits prior to quarterfinal round game

Iowa State looks to avoid winless Big-12 season

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC